Foraging

Foraging for wild food can be fun and this year has been one of the best harvests. There has also been a high demand for wild mushrooms, some species commanding up to £50 a kilo. The fungus is produced above ground in soil and is a low calorie food that can be eaten raw or cooked. Most of the mushrooms sold in supermarkets are commercially grown on mushroom farms. Although some wild mushrooms can be toxic, they can also be used for dyeing wool and natural fibres, but should never be eaten unless you know they are safe.

 www.foodanddrinkphotos.com

Photographer: Clive Bozzard-Hill

Mushrooms sponge up all the rot and debris that other plants leave around, so without them nothing grows as it should. Sadly, many woodlands have been plundered by mushroom gangs, who are cashing in on the growing demand for wild mushrooms. Most of the gang members don't know what they are taking and therefore take everything, as someone sifts through them later and throws away what they don't want. This has left Britain's fragile woodlands without a vital part of it's ecosystem. There are virtually no mushrooms left in Epping, Essex and Ashdown forests as the law is still unclear about what can be taken from public land in the UK. Some forestry workers have nearly been killed whilst trying to protect the woodlands. Private landowners have their own set of rules on the amount of produce that can be taken from their land. 

For all amateur foragers, just remember to keep a lookout for large groups of stranger's.